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Former Arsenal star Lauren believes the Gunners can challenge for the Premier League title next season following their impressive rise under Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners made a stuttering start to the season as they lost their opening three games. However, they have bounced back well and currently occupy the fourth position in the league table.
Arteta’s side put in an impressive display against reigning champions and league leaders Manchester City in their last league game. Although the Gunners went on to lose the game 2-1 due to some dodgy refereeing decisions, they dominated the first half against Manchester City.
Lauren focussed on the positives from that game and feels the Gunners did a lot of the right things against Manchester City. According to the former Arsenal defender, with a little more work, Arteta's men should be right up there with Manchester City next season. He said:
“They took the game to a top team and were unlucky not to get a result. If you take that first-half, there’s no way you could say City were better than Arsenal. The whole team just looked so confident going forward and in defence. Later on, things happened in the game, small mistakes which need addressing. But on the whole, everyone was at the top of their game."
He added:
“They showed me enough in that first-half against Manchester City to tell me they could be fighting for the league as early as next season. They just need to work on their concentration and sustaining those concentration levels for the duration of the game. If they can do that, then I believe they’ll be fighting next season to win the Premier League."
Lauren added that the priority for the north London club should be to qualify for the Champions League this season so that they can sign better players. He said:
“There’s a lot more to come from this side and the key thing this season is to qualify for the Champions League because once you do that, you can begin to attract even better players."
Arsenal need to add consistency to their game to challenge Manchester City
Arsenal’s impressive display against Manchester City was followed by a tepid display against Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. The Gunners were beaten 1-0 in what was arguably the upset of the round. Despite naming a fairly strong lineup, Arteta’s side were second best on the night.
To be able to compete with Manchester City, the Gunners will need more consistency and perhaps a bigger squad. Right now, Arsenal’s first-team might be able to get the job done. However, some of their backup options are not players who can help them sustain a title charge next season.
